Vietnam's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has approved a reward for a resident of Quang Ngai Province who voluntarily donated a valuable archaeological artefact to a provincial museum.
According to local authorities, Duong Dinh Luc of Van Tuong Commune received nearly VND 93 million (about USD 3,600) for handing over a stone statue of the monkey god Hanuman to the Quang Ngai Provincial Museum.
Luc beside the monkey god statue (Photo: Provided by the subject).
The reward will be funded through the budget of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Luc discovered the statue in 2021 while fishing off the coast near his hometown. The artefact was found buried beneath sand about 50 metres from shore at a depth of around four metres.
Due to its size and weight, Luc enlisted relatives and hired lifting equipment to recover the statue and transport it home.
He later said that a buyer had offered him VND 2 billion (about USD 77,000) for the artefact, but he declined the offer and instead chose to donate it to the museum for preservation and public display.
According to the Quang Ngai Provincial Museum, the sculpture is a sandstone statue of Hanuman dating from the 11th to 12th centuries.
The statue, including its base, stands 84 centimetres tall and weighs approximately 150 kilogrammes.
Museum experts described the artefact as a rare and valuable example of historical and cultural heritage, worthy of further research, conservation and exhibition for public education and appreciation.
